Opinion: NCAA proves inconsistencies in handling of louisville appeal

opinion: ncaa inconsistent in penalties, shells louisville

Disclaimer: the views in this article are strictly opinion, and do not reflect the views of River City Cards

To no one’s surprise, the banner is gone. The University of Louisville has lost their appeal.

The NCAA ruled that the Cardinals must vacate all wins between 2011-2015, including the 2013 National Championship and 2012 Final Four. The University must also pay back money to the NCAA.

The ruling comes after the University appealed the NCAA’s original ruling in relation to the prostitution scandal occurring during 2011-2014. It also affirms the NCAA’s history of inconsistent punishments.

The Baylor Bears football team committed 52 acts of rape, and University officials didn’t act. The North Carolina Tar Heels committed academic fraud to keep athletes eligible.And what happened to both programs?

Nothing.

The NCAA didn’t level punishments against Baylor. They stated it was a legal matter. The NCAA concluded that UNC violated NCAA academic rules.

But with Louisville, it was time to punish. The University had the book thrown at them, despite cooperating fully, and self-inflicting punishments. It seemed none of that mattered when the Committee on infractions ruled that Louisville should vacate everything. The committee on appeals ruled the same.The reason?

As I stated in an earlier piece, UofL is a regional power with some national notoriety. You won’t find the “Olde English L” in stores 150-200 miles away. But despite this, every sports fan knows who the Louisville Cardinals are.

It’s the perfect size to punish. Louisville is a big program, but will not affect revenues as much as if UNC, Alabama, Ohio State, or Florida State were punished.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: The NCAA is a business, and the first rule of business is to take care of your bottom line. No one will confirm it, and some may deny it. But my tin-foil hat is on securely.

The Association doesn’t want schools to cheat. They needed to set an example. And what better school than Louisville, who everyone knows, but not many root for. The NCAA can risk losing this fan base.I’m not saying nothing should have happened. I think the 2016 self-imposed postseason ban and loss of scholarships were enough punishment.

But the NCAA went totally overboard. The scandal wasn’t a class-I violation. It shouldn’t have received this stiff of penalties. It looks like the self-imposed penalty suggested by NCAA compliance specialist Chuck Smrt weren’t enough.

Despite the banner being gone, no Louisville fan will forget the memories that happened April 8th in Atlanta, Georgia; when the Louisville Cardinals defeated the Michigan Wolverines.